Novità

Novità is a feminine Italian noun that denotes the quality of being new or the presence of something new. It can refer to new things, recent developments, or information. In everyday use it often signals fresh items or updates, while in journalism it specifically means news or current information about events.

Etymology and form: the word derives from the Latin novitas, novitatis, based on novus meaning new. In Italian, novità is used in both singular and plural senses; the plural is written the same as the singular (le novità), with articles indicating number.

Common usages: in commerce and marketing, the phrase novità di prodotto indicates a new product or feature. Shops and catalogs may promote “le novità” to highlight recently released items. In media, novità refers to the latest developments or stories, as in “le novità di oggi.” The term can also describe changes in a field or topic, such as scientific or cultural novità.

Legal and technical sense: in patent and intellectual property contexts, novità expresses novelty, a fundamental requirement for patentability. An invention must be new and not already disclosed to the public to qualify for protection; discussions of novità assess whether prior knowledge or prior art exists.

See also: related concepts include innovazione (innovation) and aggiornamento (update). While novità emphasizes the introduction or discovery of something new, aggiornamento stresses the act of updating existing information.